True Love's Save
by Starlight623
Summary: Spoiler warning for Seas 3, Ep 15. This is how I wish Neal's scene would have played out.


A/N: So, I was very not ok with last night's episode. I'm holding on to hope that there is something to save Neal! This is pretty much how I wanted that scene to play out.

Quotes in italics are not mine but actual lines from the episode. I own nothing here and I'm not making any money from it.

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"_There has to be some way you can save him, right?" she desperately asked Gold. _

_His face showed his answer, but he replied, "It's too late, Emma."_

_He called her Emma. He had almost always called her Miss Swan. The gravity of the situation began to weigh her down._

"_Just hang in there, please. You never even had a chance to see Henry, or for him to remember you. "_

"_It's ok, he doesn't need to. He just needs to know that in the end, I was a good father." He reached into his coat and found the swan charm. "I saved this for you to give to you again. Take it. Go find Tallahassee, even if it is without me."_

"There is no Tallahassee without you," she sighed. "I can't … I … won't."

Emma froze. What could she do? Even Mr. Gold was giving up, so how could she possibly have anything to do to save Neal?

Then it came to her. All of a sudden she had flashes to Henry's book of fairy tales. The answer was right there in the pages. And again when she and her mother were stuck in the Enchanted Forest and had to save her father. And again when she saved Henry.

True love's kiss.

Hell, it almost saved Gold, er, Rumplestiltskin when Belle tried it. If anything, it had to save Neal.

"Don't you leave me, Neal. We'll find Tallahassee, even if it's on Main Street in Storybrooke. We're going to be that family. You're going to be a father to Henry. You just hang on!"

And with that, she bent down and placed her lips to Neal's.

"I love you. Don't leave us," she whispered and she kissed him again.

She pulled back and studied his face. Nothing seemed to be changing, in fact his breathing seemed to be even more labored.

"No! Dammit, Neal! Hang on!"

And then a wind blew past them all, almost knocking Mr. Gold to the ground. Neal's eyes flew open and he gasped, "Emma!"

"Neal, are you all right?"

"I … I don't know."

Gold fell to his knees. "Bae, speak to me."

"Papa, I think … I think I'm ok. Emma, how did you do it? I didn't think your magic was that strong," Neal asked.

"It's not. But ours is," she replied.

Neal gave her a questioning look.

"Miss Swan here tapped into the most powerful magic of them all. True love," Mr. Gold explained.

Neal couldn't help but smile. "True love, eh? Does that mean what I think it means?"

"Get that smirk off your face. You've always known it anyway," Emma said.

"I did. The necklace came with me to the Enchanted Forest when we got sent back. I knew it had to be from love's power. I just knew I had to get back to you and prove it. I didn't expect to die for it."

"You would have if it weren't for Miss Swan. Bae, how could you have taken such a risk?" Gold asked.

"Like you have to ask. I had to get to my boy. To Emma. I would have done anything. I just wish I would have actually known what using the key would mean. Doesn't matter now, though. I'm here, you're here, Emma is here and eventually, I'll have Henry back too. Somehow."

Emma nodded. "I don't know how it's going to work, but I'm not losing you again. That's twice now you've pretty much died in front of me and I've just about had it," she laughed a little through her tears.

Gold and Emma helped Neal to stand. "You know, I owe my life to our love now. That's a lot to live up to," he sighed.

"Please, try being the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming," Emma said, rolling her eyes.

"Well, you've learned a lot being their daughter, so I think I need to thank them." He stopped walking. "Papa, do you think you could give us some privacy?"

Gold looked torn. He obviously didn't want to leave his son, but he couldn't deny him either. "Of course, Bae. If you need me, just call. I won't be too far."

As Gold walked off, Neal turned to Emma. "Emma, I don't want to lose you again."

"Well, I already said that."

"I know. But I want to make it official."

Emma's eyes grew large as Neal got down on one knee in front of her.

"Emma Swan, I don't have a lot to offer you. I'm the thief son of a fairy tale character. But I have my love and so far, I think that has been proven to be pretty deep. Would you do me the honor of being my wife?"

As she looked down at him, she knew what her answer would be. But she was still nervous. So much had happened and still needed to happen in their lives.

But if her parents' story had taught her anything, it was that the Charmings always found their loves, and kisses always broke curses. She had to trust this.

"Neal," she began. "I need to know something first."

"Anything."

"You … you aren't going to turn into a flying monkey, are you?" she asked with a grin.

He chuckled in reply.

"No, you have my word. I am not a flying monkey in disguise."

"All right then. Let's get married!"

Neal stood and swung Emma around. As he placed her back on her feet, she kissed him. Then abruptly stopped.

"You know, there is one problem," she said.

"What's that?"

"You're going to have to ask Prince Charming for his daughter's hand in marriage."

"Can't I just face a flying monkey?"

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A/N: Even without the proposal, I really wanted her to just kiss him and save him. Anyone think there is a way to save him?


End file.
